Rams Learn Rule Changes

Rams Learn Rule ChangesFriday, August 4, 2006By Nick WagonerSenior WriterThe days of Chad Johnson making like Tiger Woods and Steve Smith making like Mary Poppins in the end zone after a touchdown appear to be gone. Unless, of course, you want to cost your team 15 yards, the NFL, the players’ association and the competition committee have decided to turn celebrations down to a reasonable volume.Starting this season, celebrations will be limited to the point where they must be spontaneous and relatively short. And no props will be allowed, including the football. “I think it is important to know that this came about because the players association wanted to enforce it,” umpire Undrey Wash said. “They wanted to clear some of that out.”Players also cannot perform celebrations that involve them lying on the ground. Referees will warn players if they are closing in on an excessive celebration, but if they continue they can be flagged.While the new rules will limit some of the more creative celebrations such as Johnson’s putting the football with the pylon, there is still room for individual celebrations so long as they are spontaneous such as Johnson’s “Riverdance.” Every year, the NFL sends an officiating crew to the various training camps across the league. The reason is simple: it gives the crews a chance to knock some of the rust off during practice and allows them an opportunity to inform teams of rule changes and points of emphasis for the coming season.“It helps us quite a bit,” Wash said. “Just like they are getting ready for the regular season, we are too. It’s good to get reps for us too. We are all a little rusty, too.”The Rams are receiving their visit this week with Wash, line judge Mike Spanier and field judge Mike Weir in since Wednesday afternoon and finishing up with the team’s scrimmage Saturday morning. “We will go through the rule changes and points of emphasis this year,” coach Scott Linehan said. “A lot of these guys are local guys so they spread it around. That’s the emphasis for these practices are the rules changes and the things they are going to emphasize.”Among the other rule changes in the NFL this year is an important addendum to the roughing the passer penalty. Defenders rushing the passer can no longer hit the quarterback below the knees even if the initial contact is above the knee. It is not a foul if a defender is blocked or fouled into the passer and cannot avoid him. “The low hits on the quarterbacks will be tough (to enforce),” Wash said. “It’s a referees duty to see that, but it might be hard because he has to look at so many other things.” Other changes of interest include an alteration to what is challengeable when a player is ruled down by contact. In the past, if a player is ruled down by contact and fumbles, the play is not challengeable. Now, the play can be challenged, but the team must have indisputable evidence that it’s not only a fumble, but that the team making the challenge clearly recovered the ball.If the ball is fumbled into a group of players and there is a scrum for it, that will not be challengeable. If the defensive team wins the challenge, the ball will be spotted at the place of recovery and no additional yards gained will be allowed.Also, the amount of time spent on challenges has been reduced to a minute as opposed to the minute and a half that referees had in the past.Points of emphasis for this year are focused in the trenches. Holding, false starts (including twitches by the center and excessive finger pointing) and roughing the passer are the key points that the NFL is going to closely monitor this year.Essentially, the league is taking steps toward making the league safer for the players and more respectful for the teams participating.INJURY UPDATES: One day after suffering the first two injury casualties of this training camp, Linehan had updates on safety Ron Bartell and linebacker Drew Wahlroos. And, for the most part, the updates were positive.Bartell injured his left ankle during Thursday afternoon’s practice and was carted off the field. The first indication was that it could be a serious sprain, but Linehan said Friday it wasn’t as bad as first feared.“It was more of a mild sprain with a considerable amount of swelling, but it’s down low which is a good sign,” Linehan said. “He said he had a high ankle sprain last year so this will be better. That’s good news. I’m relieved.”Linebacker Drew Wahlroos suffered a broken right hand during Thursday’s practice. Wahlroos had surgery Friday and will likely miss a couple of weeks. Wahlroos and Bartell sat out Friday’s practice.RAM BITS: Guard Richie Incognito has been alternating with Mark Setterstrom with the first team at left guard, but Incognito has been playing through the pain of a toe infection…The offense bounced back from a rough practice yesterday with a better showing Friday…Linehan said tight end Joe Klopfenstein has edged ahead of Dominique Byrd in the competition for the starting job because of his consistency.

Re: Rams Learn Rule Changes

IMPO celebrations are good for the league. Let's face it if an NFL team scores 30 or more points that's considered a very good offensive showing. As we all know a TD is worth 6 points. It doesn't take very many TDs to get to 30. My point being that so few Touchdowns actually happen during a game that all the hard work put into scoring should be rewarded. If celebrating is the end result so be it. I also feel like it adds to and creates rivalries. No I don't agree with the T.O. scoring and then running onto the Star at the center of the field at Texas Stadium or the hidden cell phone kind of stuff.

Marshall Faulk and the rest of the offense used to have their gig in the end zone and I loved it.

Hockey and Baseball do it. Watch the after party when a guy scores a goal or watch some of the Homerun hitters at a baseball game, Barry Bonds, Reggie Jackson, Manny Ramirez etc.. Basketball you don't see it because there is so much scoring going on. How about when a goal is scored in a soccer game ?

Re: Rams Learn Rule Changes

Originally Posted by laram0

Among the other rule changes in the NFL this year is an important addendum to the roughing the passer penalty. Defenders rushing the passer can no longer hit the quarterback below the knees even if the initial contact is above the knee. It is not a foul if a defender is blocked or fouled into the passer and cannot avoid him.

Now, if this isn't the most ticky-tack rule that was ever implemented!!

Re: Rams Learn Rule Changes

These new rules that the nfl have been putting in for the past few years are getting pretty bad, why can't the players celebrate? IMO that's why a lot of fans go to the games to see some funny stuff like that, and as you all already said the quarterback rules they are making keep getting more and more rediculouis, might as well make a rule that says" no touching the QB whatsoever" lol